I Promise
by Miss Lindsay
Summary: Three years after graduating Hearst Veronica is a single mom living in Neptune and working as a jorunalist. Logan is living across the country and is a famous author. When there paths cross again will it be forever or just for now?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

It had been a long day at work and I was overjoyed to be done for the day. I loved writing for the crime section of the newspaper but the job got overwhelming sometimes. I had started working there just before graduating Hearst three years ago. It had been a very eventful three years and I try not to dwell on it. I shake thoughts of the past out of my head and get in my car and head home to my house. As I walk in I am welcomed by the TV blaring in the living room and shoes littering the entryway. I smile and make my way into the living room where the love of my life is sitting watching Barney. As I walk in my 5 year old daughter turns and greets me with a smile and hug. I pay and dismiss the nanny and join my daughter Olivia Mars on the couch to unwind and watch some TV.

You are probably wondering who Olivia's dad is, everyone always does. Well at least they did until she was around 3 and she began looking more and more like her dad everyday. Well Olivia's dad is the great Logan Echolls: son of deceased movie stars Aaron and Lynn Echolls, critically acclaimed author of the book _Dying for a Heart_, and also Oscar winning actor of a movie based on the book he wrote. Yes, he has everything and I am just little old Veronica Mars: single mother, journalist, and daughter of Sheriff Keith Mars. You see Logan doesn't even know about Olivia but it is his own fault.

After our breakup freshman year over Logan sleeping with Madison I was angry and swore to myself I would never date him again. Yeah, that didn't work out too long because Logan seems to make girls fall for him hard, even me. So our sophomore year we began dating again and this went perfect until the summer before junior year. All of a sudden we began arguing all the time and disagreeing on pretty much everything. Towards the end of the summer Logan informed me that he couldn't do the on-again-off-again relationship anymore and he needed someone with more stability than me. He left that night without as much of a goodbye. I became very emotional the following weeks and I soon began spending the mornings over the toilet. Parker and Mac became worried about me and convinced me to let them take me to a doctor, It was at that doctor visit that I found out that I was pregnant with Logan's baby.

I went trough the depression stage, and the denial, and the happiness and I eventually became anxious and ready to have a baby. I tried unsuccessfully to contact Logan to tell him about the baby. He had cancelled all of his credit cards and phone numbers and he hadn't old anyone where he was going. So, instead of having Logan by my side through the pregnancy and when Olivia was born I had Mac and Parker who ended up moving in with me to help me out. When Olivia was 2 everything began to change. Logan all of a sudden was all over the news and everything. He had been in seclusion for the last two and a half years while writing his book and he was now famous. I once again tried to contact him but all of his secretaries had express orders never to put me through to him. Eventually I gave up and decided to go on living life as a single mother because Logan did not want anything to do with me.

That same year both Parker and Mac moved out. Parker decided to move back home to Colorado to help her mother who had severe arthritis and was all alone. We still keep in touch although even after he mom passed away last year she decided to stay in Colorado and is dating a guy from high school. And then there's Mac who moved out because she decided it was time to step out on her own and try the whole independence and responsibility thing. Surprisingly she began dating Dick Casablancas about two years ago and then they got engaged almost a year ago now. The wedding is just in one short month and I am excited to see Parker who is coming back to Neptune for the wedding to join me as one of Mac's bridesmaids while Olivia fills the role of flower girl.

As the weeks before the wedding flew by I found myself wishing I had done things differently with Logan. Maybe if I had been kinder, more loving, and ready to settle down then maybe he would still be here today. Maybe it would've been me in the long white dress with the smile that could light up a room. But there is nothing fun about playing the "would've, should've, could've" game so I decide to thing about what I _do_ have which is great friends, a beautiful daughter, a great job, and a loving father. All in all my life is great even if it isn't perfect.

Finally the day of Mac and Dick's wedding arrived and I laughed and joked with my two best friends as I dressed Olivia and myself before the wedding. All of a sudden it was time to walk down the aisle and I walked arm in arm with Wallace while Parker walked right behind with one of Dick's frat house friends. Olivia followed behind Parker and she did perfect throwing petals from side to side while her signature smile was plastered on her face. Mac looked beautiful as she came down the aisle and soon she was Mrs. Casablancas. We all headed outside for the reception and I had my hands full trying to keep Olivia's flower girl dress clean for pictures. Eventually I gave up and in the last few pictures the dress had a couple food and dirt stains on it but no one seemed to care. After two exhausting hours of mothering and picture taking I finally got a break and decided to sit down and eat a piece a cake while watching Olivia play on the nearby playground. Halfway through my cake the chair behind me slid out and someone slipped in next to me. But I was so busy watching Olivia boss around the other kids that I didn't realize who it was until they spoke.

"She's beautiful Ronnie, just like you." My heart stopped beating and I slowly found myself staring into Logan's deep brown eyes. He smiled at my utter loss of words and continued talking. "I couldn't miss Dick's wedding. We friends once and he has become a great man and he will be great to Mac. I've missed you though and I knew you'd be here so that is more the reason I came. Except I didn't expect you to have a significant other with you." He said while motioning to where Olivia was playing.

All of a sudden the awe and happiness in seeing Logan faded and the anger I had harbored for five agonizing years surfaced. "Yeah well if you hadn't disappeared off the face of the earth and denied all of my calls you may have gotten the message I was trying to give you. You know, the fact that you have a daughter and that you left me here without so much as a goodbye. I can't do this with you Logan. It was nice to see you and all but I can't get my heart broken again. So I am sorry that you traveled all this way to see me but I guess you should head home and have a great life." With that I stood up and grabbed my purse. I motioned Olivia over and told her it was time to head home. I could feel Logan's eyes following us as we said goodbye to Mac and Dick and as I loaded Olivia into my car and headed home.

After bathing Olivia and putting her to bed I lay in my own empty bed and the tears finally came. All of the anger I hade felt earlier was now replaced by sadness and loneliness from losing Logan once again. Around midnight the doorbell rang and after drying my eyes I made my way downstairs and opened it without seeing who was there first. As soon as I had the door open I realized my mistake. Logan was on the other side and as soon as I opened the door her had me in his arms and was holding me to his chest. My sadness returned and I began sobbing into the chest of the man who had always known when he was needed the most. Logan closed the door and picked me up in his arms and carried me to the couch. While I continued to cry he whispered loving sentiments into my ear and made promises I only dreamed I would ever hear from him again.

Soon my crying subsided and I knew we needed to talk. But he was the one who had left, the one who had done the heart breaking, the one that needed to start the conversation. He seemed to sense this and he began talking as his brown eyes locked with my own blue ones "Veronica I still love you, I always have. I made a mistake 5 years ago by leaving and I continued to make that mistake by not letting you into my life in those five years. There has been no one else in that time. I haven't dated anyone because I could not get you the woman I love out of my head."

"Then why didn't you come back? Why did you not take my calls? How can you love me but not care to talk to me?" I asked on the verge of tears once again.

Logan sighed and he also looked on the verge of tears as he continued. "Because I didn't want to hurt you. Everyone always hurts you and I do it time and time again and I just couldn't keep hurting you. I needed time to think about everything and I did have that time. I ended up putting my thoughts into my book. Did you read it?" I nodded. I had bought Logan's book the day it went on sale and read it all that night. The book was about a young man who in a fit of passionate rage murdered the love of his life and then the story is his thoughts of all that he had done and the mistakes he had made and how much he missed the woman he had loved. All of a sudden something clicked in my head and I realized that I represented the murdered love and those were Logan's thoughts in the book. He had been afraid to follow in his father's murderous footsteps so he had run. All of a sudden I understood all that he was trying to tell me and I never wanted him to leave again.

"You left because you thought you'd hurt me," I looked him in the eyes and continued, "But you only hurt me by leaving Logan. You broke me when you left and you cannot leave again. I love you too and I need you. I know I don't say it enough but I need you more than air Logan. And Olivia needs a dad. And not just any dad, she needs _her_ dad. She needs you. Please stay Logan, please stay with us and promise never to leave again!" The tears began to spill over Logan's eyes as he pulled me close and whispered the most wonderful words I had ever heard.

"I promise to stay with you forever."

_**A/N: So, more chapters? Epilogue? Or leave it here…let me know and review please!!!!**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Author:** Miss Lindsay

**Story:** I Promise

**Summary:** Three years after graduating Hearst Veronica is a single mom living in Neptune and working as a journalist. Logan is living across the country and is a famous author. When there paths cross again will it be forever or just for now?

**Rating:** K+

**Spoilers: **None specifically but maybe say all episodes so far just to be safe.

**Disclaimer:** Rob Thomas owns all…not me.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next morning I woke up to laughing in the kitchen and I slowly pulled herself up off of the couch. I walked into the kitchen to find my daughter sitting at the table while Logan made smiley face pancakes.

I smiled because I always knew this was how it was supposed to be. How a normal family would be on a normal Saturday morning. And then I noticed the way Logan was avoiding my eyes. The way he would talk to Olivia but when I came close he would walk away.

Then I noticed the slight flicker of light off his left ring finger and I saw the wedding band there. I wanted to scream to faint or to wake up from this nightmare. Logan could not be married he just couldn't.

How could he be married when just last night he had promised to stay forever and he had said he hadn't dated anyone since he left? Plus I hadn't read anything about it in the tabloids so maybe there was a good explanation. Maybe just maybe everything would still turn out perfect.

All of a sudden Logan noticed me staring at his ring and all of the color drained from his face. As he grabbed my arm and led me to the couch he assured me that he could explain and I hoped with every fiber in me that he could and that he wasn't married. But the first words out of his mouth crushed every hope I had and made me want to die right there.

"Ronnie, I am married. I also have a child on the way with my wife. I never dated her and I never loved her, not like I still love you. I got really drunk at a movie release party and I had a one night stand with her. She was one of the waitresses at the club and she came to me about two months later telling me she was pregnant.

So, I decided to do the right thing and marry her. Plus I figured you would have moved on by now and that you wouldn't want me back. So, her name is Katie and we have been married for 6 months now and my daughter is due in less then a month."

I stared at him open mouthed for a very long time until he must've thought I had lost all chance of speaking again. At this point I wouldn't be surprised if I have.

"But I want to be there for you and Olivia. I don't want to walk away just because I have a family. But I cannot divorce Katie because she is also my daughter's mother and she depends on me both emotionally and financially. Now I need to head home and tell Katie about you and Olivia before she gets worried. But I meant my promise last night Ronnie. I will be here forever for you two and it will be a relationship not just money, okay."

I slowly nodded my head as I tried to let what he was saying sink in. Logan was married. He had another child on the way and he could not be with me the way I wanted him to. He wouldn't be my husband and lay next to me every night because some other girl named Katie had already claimed that spot.

He would be with her each night while I lay alone in my bed and cried myself to sleep each night. Logan seemed to sense that I wasn't in the mood to talk so he kissed my forehead and then kissed Olivia goodbye. As he was walking out the door he turned around and faced me once again.

"Ronnie, I still love you, always have always will. And I think you and Olivia should come meet Katie so I will talk to her this morning when I get home and then pick you two up for dinner at a restaurant here in town tonight okay. I will call you with the details."

With that he closed the door and the sobs began to take over my body. I did not know how he thought I would be able to have him in my life but only as a friend and the father of Olivia. It had never been like that between us so I do not know how he expected it to be like that now.

But one thing I knew for sure is that I would not be the "other woman" to break up Logan's marriage. If the marriage failed it sure as hell would not be because of me, at least not intentionally of course.

Dinner with Logan and his wife tonight would definitely be the most difficult thing I ever have to do. How am I supposed to sit there and smile at the wife of the man I have never stopped loving? How am I supposed to pretend that he is just a friend and not also the father of my daughter and my best friend and the man who left me alone and heartbroken all those years ago but can still take my breath away with a few simple words? How?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Logan called me about two hours after leaving my house and let me know that him and Katie would be picking Olivia and I up for dinner around seven. I went through the day of cleaning and taking care of some work as if I was a zombie. If I didn't have Olivia there seriously would not even be a reason to keep living.

The only man I have truly loved is married and will never be mine and now he is going to become a permanent fixture in my life since he is Olivia's father. Man I must have something horrible in a past life to get the karma I have.

Soon it was almost time for dinner so I bathed Olivia and myself and got us ready for dinner. I primped and curled both of our hair and smiled at the final products. I guess subconsciously I was trying to look perfect to be better then Logan's wife but I would never admit that openly.

Olivia is the perfect mix of Logan and I. She has my blond hair but she had her father's deep chocolate brown eyes. I stood at the mirror admiring my daughter when I heard the doorbell ring.

She heard it to and her eyes lit up. She had instantly started calling Logan 'daddy' and had been talking about him non-stop all day today. That had only made my self-pitying easier when I heard about him every few seconds.

I opened the door with the best smile I could muster. Logan stood there with his arm around a very pregnant red head. She wasn't gorgeous but she wasn't ugly either. She looked very nervous on my front doorstep as her eyes flicked back and forth between me and my daughter.

I finally decided that I needed to start some sort of introductions or this night would become ten times more awkward then it had to be. "Hi, I'm Veronica Mars and this is my, I mean Logan and my daughter Olivia Mars-Echolls." Logan smiled at the use of his last name as he took Olivia into his arms.

Logan's wife stepped away from him and asked if she could speak to me in the other room. I cautiously agreed and Logan looked concerned as his wife and I stepped into the kitchen.

"I know Logan already told you our story. My name is Katie Henry-Echolls and I am pregnant with Logan's daughter from a one night stand. I love Logan and I know he loves me but not in the way he loves you. I like you and I do not want you to hate me or resent me for taking Logan. But I also want you to know that I will fight to the end for my marriage and I do not want you to break that up"

I admired the woman for standing up to me about Logan and her marriage and it actually made me like her even more for letting me know she would fight for her marriage. I had no plans to be the other woman that broke up their family before but even if I had I would have forgotten them by now because I actually liked this woman.

I assured her I had no plans to break up her family and her smile became genuine at that point. It was contagious and soon I found myself smiling genuinely to.

"Now let's go out there and go get some dinner because I am so hungry I could eat anything right now!" Katie said as she gently pulled me arm in arm towards the entryway where Logan and Olivia were waiting.

Logan smiled when he saw us and I was actually happy for a few seconds. Then reality set in and the empty, lonely Logan-sized hole in my heart reminded me what I was missing and I knew that this would definitely be difficult but it was for Olivia alone.

When Olivia had been born I had made her a promise that day in the hospital when she was born and I fully plan on keeping that promise no matter how much it costs me.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author: **_Miss Lindsay_

**Story: **_I Promise_

**Summary: **_Three years after graduating Hearst Veronica is a single mom living in Neptune and working as a journalist. Logan is living across the country and is a famous author. When there paths cross again will it be forever or just for now?_

**Rating: **_K+_

**Spoilers:**_ Let's just say all aired episodes to be safe_

**Disclaimers: **_ All Rob Thomas's…I only own Olivia and Logan's wife_

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dinner was going pretty smoothly although I was beginning to like Katie less and less. Although the woman had seemed nice earlier I was beginning to think it had all been an act. And then I realized…Logan could hear us from where he had been standing so she had to be nice to me because Logan would've heard whatever she said.

It is then that I realize that I am not imagining the glares and snobby attitude radiating off of Katie because it really does exist. This woman is a fake who is just tolerating me and my daughter because of Logan's love for us. Her demeaning comments and her mean looks towards my daughter were pushing me over the edge. I know Logan was starting to notice because his eyes were becoming darker with anger.

I couldn't stand it anymore so I stood up surprising both Logan and Katie. "I'm sorry but I cannot do this Logan. Your wife hates me and I just cannot sit through a meal with her. I will get a taxi to take me and Olivia home and don't worry you can come visit anytime you want but I will _never_ be in the same place as your wife again and my daughter will not be staying at your house with her there. We can figure everything out later just stop by sometime."

He nodded and got up to walk us outside. "Logan you are not walking her out. I am your wife and I am carrying your daughter. They mean nothing to you. You have moved on." Katie screamed as she grabbed Logan's arm.

He shook her hand off and looked at her with anger and sadness in his eyes. "No Katie I have not moved on. I still love Veronica and Olivia is as much my daughter as the one you are carrying. I made a mistake by sleeping with you and the only good thing that came out of it is that I will be having another daughter. But our marriage, us, it is fake Katie. I don't love you and I never will. I'm sorry." With that Logan put the money down to pay the bill and left Katie sitting in the restaurant as he got into the taxi with us.

I could not help but smile as he told the taxi driver my address. That night Logan stayed the night and although we did not have sex he held me in his arms until the light started coming through the blinds and he kissed my forehead as he headed home.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

About an hour after Logan had left I pulled myself out of bed and got myself and Olivia ready. We had just sat down to eat breakfast when the phone rang and I ran over to get it. After a quick hello I heard nothing but breathing on the other line so I said hello again with a little more irritation in my voice.

"Ronnie…it's, it's Logan. Katie…she, she killed herself. She was still alive when I got home but she was bleeding so much and the paramedics couldn't save her in time. She's gone Ronnie and it's my fault for telling her that I didn't love her and leaving her."

"It's not your fault Logan. She was unstable, it was bound to happen someday. What about the baby? Did they lose her too?"

Logan audibly sighed as he said, "No, I have a beautiful baby daughter who weighed 5 pounds and 11 ounces. She was three weeks early so she is a little small but otherwise perfectly healthy. Her name is Nicole Caitlyn Echolls. Veronica I need you. I don't' know how to raise a baby and you do. Plus I know my wife just died but I never loved her the way I love you and I want to marry you a raise Nicole and Olivia together as a family. What do you say?"

"I say that's a crazy thing to ask a girl over the phone but my answer is yes. I love you too and I will marry you and raise _our_ daughters together."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**12 years Later (3rd Person POV)**

"Olivia Echolls, downstairs…now!" Veronica screamed at her 17 year old daughter. She sighed as she slid into her seat at the table and glared at her husband for laughing at her stress.

Logan saw Veronica's glare and returned to reading his paper. He had to go to work today to begin filming on the new movie he had been signed for. Veronica still worked at the newspaper although she had cut back to half time so she could be home with their four kids more often.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

At 17 Olivia was the spitting image of her mother at the age except for the color of her eyes. She had her father's chocolate eyes and his love of surfing and knack for getting into trouble. Her parents were surprised she hadn't given them both heart attacks with all of the partying and trouble she got herself into.

Olivia had been dating Darren Casablancas for almost two years now. They had been friends all their life since Logan and Veronica were so close with his parents Dick and Mac. Olivia also did Pep Squad and was the Queen of the 09ers which still surprised Veronica considering this was _her_ daughter they were talking about. But then again she had her father's genes too and that would explain that.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

At 12 Nicole knew she was adopted by Veronica even though she considered her to be her mother. Nicole was a lot like Veronica although she looked nothing like her. Nicole was smart, curious, and had an attitude just like Veronica in high school. But Nicole's green eyes and auburn hair reminded both of her parents of the mother she had never known.

Nicole worked on the Junior High news paper and also played soccer although she managed to stay in the popular group mostly because of her fun personality and her last name and net worth.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

A year after Nicole was born Veronica and Logan decided they wanted more kids and a year later Veronica gave birth to Ryan Echolls. Now at 10 Ryan was the spitting image of his father in every single way. He was a jerk sometimes but sensitive other times. He loved to surf and he loved to swim.

He's a competitive surfer and is in first for the state of California. He also likes to play football although Veronica is afraid he will get hurt once he hits the high school level.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

After Ryan the family had seemed complete. But then out of nowhere Veronica found out she was pregnant 5 years later. Now at 5, Megan Echolls is the spoiled baby of the family. She gets more attention then most kids her age because of her parent's flexible schedules. She looks exactly like her mom with the blue eyes and blond curls that cover her head.

She likes to go to the movie set with her dad and she swears that one day she will be famous just like her daddy.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

And as the Echolls family went about their daily life they all are thankful for how everything turned out. Especially Veronica and Logan because they found out that no matter how hard you try you cannot escape LoVe.


End file.
